Blackout
by CheerfulChemist
Summary: This story picks up immediately after Need to Know and ends befor Number One Fan. It is a oneshot. There is a little angst, but all is well. If you haven't seen Need to Know, this won't make much sense. There are no spoilers. Of course, I don't own the characters. Why is it so long until Monday?


Blackout

Rachel McCord had just left, taking Beckett's badge and weapon with her. Beckett was chilled with shock. As she lay in Castle's arms on the couch, she wished that she could just burrow into his body for the warmth and comfort. Castle ran his large hands up and down her arms and nuzzled the top of her head with his chin. For once he was silent, knowing that any words of solace would sound hollow. They both knew that despite being willing to live in Washington D.C., he wanted Beckett in New York. His family was here, perhaps too much here. His friends at precinct, poker buddies, and publisher were all here. As much as he felt for Beckett, it was hard for Castle to regret her firing.

"You're cold," Castle murmured softly. "I'm going to start a fire." Just as flames began to dance in the fireplace, the lights went out.

"Cute, Castle," Beckett said, "but I wasn't thinking major romance just now."

"I didn't do it," Castle protested. "If I had, I would have at least lit some candles and poured some wine first." Using the light from the fire, Castle made his way to the windows that looked out on the street. "It looks like the lights are out all over the city, he called to Beckett, who was still ensconced on the couch. Castle activated the light on his cell phone and looked for candles. When the room was bathed in a soft glow, he returned to Beckett. "You laughed, but I have all my supplies for the zombie apocalypse. We'll be set here. We might just as well relax." He wrapped his arms around Beckett again and closed his eyes. Snuggling deep into the heat of Castle's chest, Beckett finally drifted off.

Castle awoke to the sound of gentle rustling. He grimaced in disappointment, thinking that his family and Pi were home early from their yoga retreat. He and Kate just couldn't catch any kind of a break. Not wanting to wake Beckett, he carefully laid her down and went in search of the other residents of the loft. As he approached the area under the skylight, he heard a footstep behind him. Then he heard nothing at all.

Beckett opened her eyes, missing the warmth of Castle's body. "Castle," she called. There was no answer. Activating her own cell phone light, she got up to look for him. She almost stumbled over his body on the floor. With a terrible sense of deja vu, she held his face in her hands. Gratefully she heard him softly breathing, but also found an angry red welt on his neck. It looked as if someone had come through the skylight into the loft and drugged him. It was possible that an intruder was still there.

Beckett reached for her gun, frustrated to remember that she no longer had one. She closed her eyes and concentrated on hearing any sounds an intruder might make. She thought she heard something coming from the upper level of the loft. Beckett didn't think that there were much in the way of valuables up there. Castle had locked file drawers in his office but unless he cased the place, an intruder wouldn't know that. If this was a crime of opportunity, whoever broke in would just be fumbling around to see what he could find. Beckett tried to get 911 on her cell, but there was no signal. She needed to get Castle to a more secure place until they could get some help or they could get out of the loft. Beckett put her hands under Castle's broad shoulders and dragged him across the polished wooden floor to the office. Once there, she locked the door. She dragged him into the bedroom and then the bathroom, locking each door behind them. Beckett rolled up a towel and put it under Castle's head, protecting him from the hard tile floor and lit the candles surrounding the tub. She dampened a washcloth and gently stroked the sides of his face with it.

Castle groaned softly and began to stir. Beckett placed two fingers over his lips. "Shhh, Castle, he'll hear us, she whispered. Castle's eyes opened slowly. Beckett kept her fingers in place and looked directly into sapphire eyes. "Rick," she said softly but urgently. Someone broke into the loft. He drugged you. I think he's still here." Castle nodded, indicating his understanding.

Beckett took her fingers away from Castle's mouth. "You could replace those with your lips," Castle whispered mischievously.

Beckett smiled. "You're back," she told him.

Castle pulled himself up, leaning his back against the huge Jacuzzi. "What's the plan?" he asked.

"We're behind three locked doors," Beckett replied. "We could just try to wait him out."

Castle's eyes crinkled at the corners as he grinned. "Whatever will we do to pass the time?" he quipped, pulling Beckett toward him with a hand behind her neck.

Beckett pulled back. "Castle listen! He got into the office." Distant sounds of papers being moved and drawers being pulled out made their way to their hiding place.

"Two doors to go," Castle said.

Beckett scanned the bathroom for possible weapons. She could see the life-sized Boba Fett staring down at her. "You know Castle," she said. "That thing is really creepy."

"We could blindfold him if he bothers you," Castle suggested.

"How could you tell where the eyes are under that helmet?" Beckett asked.

"Point taken," Castle answered.

They heard the sound of another door opening. "We're down to one," Castle whispered. "If you have a plan, you'd better tell me now."

"There's nothing in here to use as a weapon, Castle. If he comes in, I'll just have to tackle him and take him down," Beckett mused.

Castle looked around the room doubtfully. "There isn't much maneuvering room and there are lots of really nasty hard surfaces in here," he noted. "I think it would be better to take him out in the bedroom. And I know just what to do."

Castle grabbed Boba Fett and held him just behind the door. He and Beckett looked at each other, she nodded and said "On three." Castle pushed Boba Fett out the bathroom door and into the bedroom. When the intruder attacked the figure, Beckett tackled him to the ground. Castle handed her the belt from the bathrobe he kept in the bathroom and she tied the intruder's hands.

Castle sat on the intruder while Beckett went to search for something more substantial to use as bindings. "I thought we had some cuffs around here," She muttered. The intruder was finally secured to a chair with duct tape from Castle's zombie apocalypse stores. He was about six feet tall and 225 pounds. Beckett double checked that the bonds were tight.

Beckett called the NYPD on Castle's land line. Due to the blackout, since the situation was no longer an emergency, it was a couple of hours before two uniformed officers showed up. Castle and Beckett spent the time cuddling in front of the fire. In the near darkness, it would have been almost impossible for their unwanted guest to observe them, but they turned the chair so that he was facing in the other direction anyway. Finally, the unwanted guest was handcuffed and led away.

Beckett and Castle were snuggling in bed the next morning as sunlight made its way through the windows. "You know, Beckett said, "It seems that I have the day off."

"Castle ran his fingertips along her collarbone. "So do I."

"Whatever shall we do with ourselves?" Beckett asked, trailing a finger down his chest.

As Castle was about to give an answer, Martha's theatrical tones of "Richard!" came ringing through the air, followed by the sound of happy chatter from Alexis and Pi.

Realizing that the lock on the door had been broken, blues eyes met hazel ones and Castle and Beckett exclaimed in perfect synchrony: "Barricade the door!" Working together they blocked the door with a heavy dresser.

The city regained its harried pace again as power was restored but Rick and Kate finally had their alone time, secure behind their Castle wall.


End file.
